DNV Ventures invests in Juniper Ventures Fund II to accelerate the future of AI assurance

DNV and Juniper Ventures have collaborated closely over the past six months on efforts related to AI safety and industrial AI governance. As the partnership deepened, DNV identified strong strategic alignment and has now committed $2.5 million to Juniper Ventures Fund II as part of its broader Assurance of AI investment mandate.

Based in San Francisco, Juniper Ventures is an early‑stage investment firm dedicated exclusively to invest in AI assurance. Since launching their first fund in 2024, Juniper Ventures has rapidly built a portfolio of AI assurance startups. 

With Fund II, Juniper Ventures will continue its focused investment strategy, backing ambitious founders building the next generation of AI assurance technologies - solutions designed to ensure AI remains secure, aligned, and beneficial for humanity. 

“AI assurance is no longer optional - it is essential to unlocking AI’s full potential and enabling its safe deployment in high‑risk and safety‑critical environments,” says Kaare Helle, Venture Director, DNV Ventures. 

“Juniper’s focus on early‑stage innovation in AI assurance aligns closely with DNV’s mission to build trust in emerging technologies. Our investment reflects confidence in Juniper’s team and a shared commitment to shaping the future of the AI assurance industry,” he adds. 

“We are honored to have DNV join Juniper’s Fund,” says Griff Bohm, co‑founder of Juniper Ventures.

“DNV brings deep technical expertise, global reach, and a long history of setting standards in safety‑critical industries. Their partnership will help our founders scale AI assurance solutions that meet real‑world needs.” 

Following DNV’s investment, Juniper Ventures Fund II has already announced its first three investments: 

  • Apollo Research, an AI‑safety organization focused on detecting and mitigating deceptive or manipulative model behavior; 
  • Alien Labs, building trust infrastructure for verifying the identity of humans and AI agents;
  • Workshop Labs, an AI research lab developing private, secure AI environments tailored for organizations and individuals handling sensitive data. 

Juniper Ventures Fund II remains open to partners who share the mission of building trust in AI.